Not a Hero

On or About 22 September 1784 – Aird Farm, Ayrshire, Scotland

I have written about this topic before.  Pardon me for the repetition, but the story boils my blood.

We visited the scene of a crime today, the event occurred in September 1784.  The victim was Elizabeth Paton, a distant relative. The perpetrator, poet Robert Burns, never fully atoned for the crime.    

Here are the details:

Late one evening in September 1784, Robert “Rabbie” Burns (25) committed the crime of rape against his mother’s servant Elizabeth “Betsey” Paton (24).

Elizabeth was employed in the Burns household.  She was described by Burns’ sister as: “A well-developed, plain-featured peasant girl, frank and independent”, and was a favourite of Burns’ mother.

While Elizabeth was employed at the Burns residence (Lochlea Farm, and later, Mossgiel Farm, Ayrshire), Robert Burns used force and guile to commit the crime against her.

Elizabeth bore the illegitimate child of that union.  Elizabeth “Bess” Paton was born 22 May 1785.

Burns admitted to the crime and described it in detail in a poem written in the form of a letter to his friend John Raskin.

Stanzas 7 through 11 of “Epistle to John Raskin” by Robert Burns:

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I am not a proponent of Cancel Culture.  Events that occur in the past should not be judged by 21^st century norms.  But even by 18^th century standards, surely Robert Burns’ self-described rape of my ancestor cannot be deemed reasonable behaviour.

I am proud of my Scottish heritage.  I don’t suggest that Robert Burns be stripped of his National Poet of Scotland title, but when we visited his monument today, I was looking at an edifice to a criminal, …

 … Not a Hero.

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